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LightSquared Roundup: Requested Extension of Comment Period

Company is asking that deadline for comments on FCC decison be extended from March 1 to March 30.

Feb 27, 2012

On February 23, LightSquared filed a motion asking that a March 30 deadline be set for the company to respond to the Federal Communications Commission's decision to vacate a conditional waiver to build a broadband network that was granted in January 2011.

Jeffrey Carlisle, LightSquared's executive vice-president for regulatory affairs and public policy, argued that they needed more time to evaluate technical documentation.

"The proposed rush to judgment in the Public Notice to effectively rescind not only the Conditional Waiver Order but also LightSquared's underlying ATC authorization is inappropriate and unprecedented," Carlisle said. "Fundamental considerations of fair notice and proper administrative process require that LightSquared and other commenters be given adequate time to respond to the NTIA materials and the Bureau's proposed actions."

Falcone, LightSquared Make Big Donation to Democratic Party

Reports indicate that Longtime GOP donor Philip Falcone began giving big money to Democrats when his Harbinger Capital Partners sought FCC approval to buy LightSquared predecessor SkyTerra in 2008. Also Lightsquared CEO Sanjiv Ahuja made a donation of the maximum amount allowed to the Democratic Party on the same day that his lawyers were trying to get a meeting for him with White House technology officials in September 2010.

There were also some discrepancies on the donation paperwork. The donation records showed Ahuja as being employed as President and CEO of Telecordia, however he was only employed by Telecordia from 1996 to 2000.

According to The Daily Caller web site that's the only known donation Ahuja has ever made to Democrats. The Center for Responsive Politics shows that Ahuja donated $350 and $250 to the National Republican Congressional Committee in 1998 and 2000, respectively. In 2002, those records show Ahuja also donated $1,000 to now former New Jersey Congressman Mike Ferguson and $1,000 to support former South Dakota Sen. Larry Pressler's bid for a U.S. House seat. Both Ferguson and Pressler were Republicans. None of those donation records list Telcordia as Ahuja's employer.